Corn or cotton planter



UNITED .STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE EDVLN VOMAOIQ. OF LLANO, TEXAS.

CORN OR COTTON PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,998, dated October 30, 1.888.

Application filed .Tannary l'i, HSS. Serial No. JGIOLL To all whom, t may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE EDWIN Wo- Mltci, a citizen of the United States, residing at Llano, in the county of Llano and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in (lern or Cotton Plantcrs,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in corn or cotton planters; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, ihat will be more fully set forth hereinaftcr, and particularly pointed out in the its upper end mortised in the block A at a point slightly in advance of the slot, and to the lower end of the said standard is secured a furrow-opener, A brace arm or rod, F, connects the standard to the front end of the frame or block A, and strengthens the said standard to enable it to .resist strain.

(l represents a vertical seed-tube, which is rectangular in horizontal section, as shown, and is Iitted in and extends through and depends :from the slot C. Near the upper end of this :feed-tube is a box or frame, H, which cxtends around the sides of the same and forms a shoulder or flange to bear upon the upper side of the :frame or block A. The upper edges of this frame or box are beveled outwardly, as shown at l, so as to leave grooves surrounding the upper end of the seed-tube.

1K represents ashaft which is -journaled in hearingboxes secured to the seedtube, and extends to the center of the saine at a suitable distance from the upper end thereof. To this axle or shaft is rigidly secured a seedwheel, L, which is arranged in the upper end of the seedtube and is provided with a series of pe- (No model.)

ripheral seedcups, M, which are arranged at suitable regular distances apart.

N represents a series of removable teeth or blocks, which have one side beveled or inclined, as shown, and the said teeth or blocks are adapted to be secured to the periphery of the seed-wheel, by means of screws or bolts O, in such positions as will enable the said teeth or blocks to cover the seed-cups M. To the outer end of the shaft K, on the righthand side of the machine, is rigidly secured a driving-wheel, l?, of suitable size, and to the inner or opposite end of the said shaft is secured a crank, R.

In the upper end of the seed-tube, at the front and rear sides of the same, are secured springs T, which bear upon the periphery of the seed-wheel and prevent seed from falling through the seedtube, excepting when the seedwheel rotates.

T represents a hopper, the sides and ends of which areinclined, shown, and converge to a rectangular dischargeopening at the betteln of the hopper, which opening is of suitable size to receive the upper end of the seed-tube. The' lower edge of the hopper is beveled, and thereby adapted to fit snugly in the groove which surrounds'thc upper end of the seedtube and enables the hopper to effect a tight joint with the seedtube.

U represents a rock-shaft which is journaled transversely in the sides of the hopper, near the upper edges of the same, and is arranged directly over the center of the hopper. To one end of this rockshaft is secured a crank, V, and to the center of the rock-shaft are secured a number of radial stirringarmsV, which extend downward into the hopper.

X represents a pitman which connects the crank R with the crank V.

On each end of the frame or block A, at the upper side of the same, is secured a transverse bar, Y, which is preferably made of iron or other metal, and the ends of which project slightly beyond the sides of the frame or block.

Z represents a pair of metallic straps,which connect the end walls ofthe hopper with the ends of the box H at the upper end of the seedtube, and thereby secure the hopper firmly to the said seedtube.

A represents a pair of diverging beams of IOO a common double-shovel plow, which are arranged in the grooves B of the block or frame A, and have their front ends united. rIhe bars Y bear upon the beams and secure them in the grooves. The rear ends of the said beams are curved downward, as shown, said beams being of unequal length, and to the lower ends of the said downwardly-curved Vportions of the beams are secured covering-shovels B.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When it is desired to plant cotton, the teeth or blocks are secured to the periphery of the seedwheel, a draft-animal is attached to the machine,and the same is directed across the field in straight lines. As the machine advances, the driving-wheel is rotated by frictional contact with the earth, and thereby imparts rotary motion to the driving-shaft and to the seedw-heel, causing the latter to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l, and as the teeth successively come to the top they engagea number ofcotton-seeds and draw them down into and discharge them through the seed-tube into the furrow made by the furrowopener. The covering-shovels throw earth from opposite sides ofthe furrow onto the seeds and effectually cover' them. The crank It, being attached to the drivingshaft, rotates, and the crank V of the rock-shaft U, being longer than the said crank R,is caused by the pitman, which connects the said cranks, to oscillate, and thereby impart rocking motion to the rockshaft and cause the radial stirring-arm XV to move back and forth in a longitudinal direction in the hopper and keep the seeds thoroughly stirred, and thereby prevent them :from clogging in the hopper. When it is desired to plant corn, the peripheral teeth or blocks are removed from the seed-wheel and corn is placed in the hopper. As each cup or depression in the seed wheel successively comes to the top by the rotation of the seedwheel, it becomes filled with corn, and the spring in the front side of' the seed -tube sweeps off the surplus corn from the periphery of the seed-wheel, and the corn is dropped from cach cup or depression when the same reaches the lower side of the seed-Wheel downward through the seed-tube, as before.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination of the frame, the seedtube secured therein, the box H, secured around the upperv end of the seed-tube and having the upper beveled edge, I, the hopper having its lower end resting on the said beveled edge, and the straps S, secured to the hopper, and the box H, as set forth.

2. The combination, in a planter, of the block or frame A, having the vertical longitudinal slot in its rear end, the seed-tube having its upper end secured and projecting through said slot, the box or shoulder o'n the upper end of seed-tube bearing on the block or frame7 the said box or shoulder having the grooves in its upper side surrounding the sides of the seed-tube, the hopper having its lower edges fitted in the said grooves, the drivingshaft extending through and journaled in the sides of the seed-tube and box or shoulder, the driving-wheel at one end ofV said shaft, the seed-wheel secured to the shaft and arranged in the upperend of the seed-tube, the crank R atthe opposite end of the driving-shaft, the rockshaft journaled in the sides of the hopper and having radial stirring-arms andthe crank V, and the pitman connecting the said cranks R and V, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE EDWIN VOMACK.

Witnesses:

W. T. CHAPMAN, A. L. DAVIS, Jr. 

